# A French woman as Governor General of Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 13, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854 "2005-08-13T13:06:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/1 "2005-08-13T13:06:47Z")
Up till now, I had no objection to [Michaelle Jean](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6445595&postcount=56) becoming the next [Governor General of Canada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor-General_of_Canada) but it turns out that she holds [French citizenship](http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=b5ab285a-8152-424e-a1ee-11351ee2faeb) as well as being Canadian. The Governor General is the de facto Head of State for Canada, and I can not accept that this post is to be given to a person who holds allegience to a foreign country. Michaelle Jean should renounce her French citizenship before accepting this post. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/2 "2005-08-13T13:26:22Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > Michaelle Jean should renounce her French citizenship before accepting this post. I agree. Dual citizenship is not normally an issue for your ordinary Joe, or Michelle, but for a head of state it is not acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/3 "2005-08-13T15:08:52Z")
“holds allegiance”? It’s not as if she applied for French citizenship; she got her French citizenship through marriage. I hardly think that’s evidence she “holds allegiance” to France. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/4 "2005-08-13T15:23:51Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > I agree. Dual citizenship is not normally an issue for your ordinary Joe, or Michelle, but for a head of state it is not acceptable. Were you aware the Governor General of Canada wasn’t even _Canadian_ until 1952? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/5 "2005-08-13T15:39:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Dual citizenship is not normally an issue for your ordinary Joe, or Michelle, but for a head of state it is not acceptable. Heck, probably at least half of the British Kings and Queens could claim dual citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/6 "2005-08-13T15:53:48Z")
This is the GG we’re talking about. She could be Martian for all I care. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/7 "2005-08-13T16:36:45Z")
> [@Orbifold](#): > > Were you aware the Governor General of Canada wasn’t even _Canadian_ until 1952? If the Queen chose to, could she appoint a non-Canadian to be GG today? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/8 "2005-08-13T17:02:32Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > I agree. Dual citizenship is not normally an issue for your ordinary Joe, or Michelle, but for a head of state it is not acceptable. Canada’s head of state is the queen, and she’s certainly not a Canadian citizen. As Gorsnak says, it’s the GG. It’s not like she has any real duties anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/9 "2005-08-13T19:19:34Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > If the Queen chose to, could she appoint a non-Canadian to be GG today? No; the GG is now effectively chosen by Parliament, e.g. the Prime Minister. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/10 "2005-08-13T20:35:34Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > If the Queen chose to, could she appoint a non-Canadian to be GG today? As **RickJay** has said, choosing the Governor General is no longer up to the Queen. Which just highlights the fact that Canadian traditions in this matter are still in a state of flux. There’s certainly no longstanding tradition that the Governor General has to be Canadian and _only_ Canadian. Moreover, since the Governor General no longer governs Canada, but instead acts as a representative of Canada and its government, at home and abroad…well, why _not_ have a GG who’s a bit more worldly than most? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/11 "2005-08-13T20:52:54Z")
Hey, if Sonia Ghandi can lead the Congress party… ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/12 "2005-08-13T22:00:56Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Hey, if Sonia Ghandi can lead the Congress party… And you will note that Sonia Ghandi is not Prime Minister of India, as the leader of the party would normally have become. I must admit to some bewilderment at the view that this is fine. I am half-Canadian, and could have had dual citizenship. Had I become either President of the United States or Prime Minister/Governor General of Canada, I would certainly have relinquished an inappropriate citizenship of another country. Caesar’s wife, and all that. But, whatever… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/13 "2005-08-13T22:37:27Z")
> [@Orbifold](#): > > Were you aware the Governor General of Canada wasn’t even _Canadian_ until 1952? Well lets put that in context shall we? There was no such thing as a Canadian citizen until [the Canadian Citizenship Act](http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/legacy/chap-5.html) of 1947 ! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-french-woman-as-governor-general-of-canada/316854/14 "2005-08-13T22:42:42Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > If the Queen chose to, could she appoint a non-Canadian to be GG today? Yes, but as per my second link in the OP, it is the role of the Prime Minister of Canada to “advise” the Queen in regards to a choice for the office. If the Queen ignored the prime minister, we could well have a constitutional crisis.